Delicious food and excellent service! I love Spanish food and always wanted to try Gabi James but never got a chance. For a friend's birthday, we had a double date on a Wednesday night. By our server's suggestion, we ordered the paella (YUM), ox tail ragu (yum), garlic shrimp, grilled octopus, potato croquettes and filet mignon. Everything was well seasoned and delicious. For me, it's hard to find a restaurant with good paella and theirs was yum-o! The food was reminiscent of my travel in Spain, tasted authentic to me~ The service was great, they checked on us often and although we stayed for a long time, they never made us feel rushed to leave. We brought couple bottles of wine for corkage fee. Since it was my friend's birthday, they brought us creme catalan with a candle~ We parked at the lot near Trader Joes and there were plenty of spots on a Wednesday evening. On weekends, I'd suggested giving ample time to find parking. I think this place is perfect for a date night or for larger group gatherings~ A must try! read more

Gabi James - paella, grilled octopus, oxtail ragu, gambas - French Near Me - Redondo Beach, California

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What a lovely little spot! The food was delicious, particularly the paella. service was excellent -- they even threw in a free drinks and a dessert because our food took a while. Tbh we were having such a good time, we didn't even notice the delay! Drinks were 10/10- loved my jalapeño drink(forgot its name) and the seasonal mulled wine was perfect. Will definitely be back! read more

Came on a Sunday evening for dinner with my friend. Like this cute place, simple decor. . The anchovy from the Gildas tasted average, good match with the olives and peppers, refreshing. It might be better if they can be tasted more distinct, adding some layers of the flavor. Village Kale Salad was my favorite for the night. After all, kale tastes a bit special if you don't prepare them good. The fruit in the salad really lightened the dish. Pollo de Jerez is a little off. The chicken was tender but seemed not flavorful enough. Potatoes were good. I plan to try their paella and oxtail next time. The servers were nice and friendly. There're street parkings and also a parking lot with meters kind of behind the restaurant. Pay by park mobile app/scan the QR code to pay. The Sunday I went, I paid $0.25 tax fee but parking was free. So not sure the hourly rate. read more

This is a tapas restaurant To be honest , the restaurant description indicated a Spanish / French style. Not all Spanish restaurants are tapas so I wasn't aware until the waiter sort of snickered. I've spent a month in Spain. Please don't judge me like that. So off to a confusing start. We made reservations. Arrived and were greeted with a card on the table telling us when we had to leave. Not the friendliest start. So now my stress level is up. Do I need to eat fast ? Some dishes take time .... My wife, however , absolutely loved the restaurant. The food was universally good. She would go back. Me? The jury's out I gave 4 stars due to my wife's love of it. read more

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My husband and I have been to Gabi James a few times now, and the oxtail ragu is absolutely amazing, easily a 5-star dish. The flavors are rich, and it's become the only thing I order because nothing else has measured up. The service has always been great, and we've had an overall good experience each time. That said, the other dishes we've tried have been just okay. I'm not a huge fan of the paella, as I feel like it could have a better crust on the bottom. If you go, I highly recommend the oxtail ragu, it's the only reason we keep coming back! read more

Yeah. Downhill. Croque Madame is nothing even close. Its like a sourdough Benedict with no sauce and had zero cheese. Its like ordering a reuben and getting an open face slice of bread with corned beef on it and sauerkraut on the side and no Russian. Dressing. Very disappointed. We've been here many times, not as good before. Oh and as my wife reminded me, the Pan and Toast, is so bad compared to what it used to be. It used to be big slices grilled, now its like these stale ungrilled pieces of day old sourdough. The jam they serve it with is really good, without that we wouldn't have eaten it. read more

We love the crew. Always friendly and warm. The bar is well stocked and unique with some fun signature items. Food is excellent. The Village is such a great destination! read more

I visited a friend in the area and wanted to try a new place to eat. Lucky for us we found Gabi James. We did not have reservations but we were seated within five minutes, a slow night. Our waiter Austin, was a little slow coming to our table and overlooked the complimentary table Chips. After reviewing the menu we ordered several dishes to try, not knowing they were small portions. After a few minutes, everything came out at once the table was not adequate for everything we ordered. The food was barely warm as it sat there it got cold, waiter failed to inform us it would be wise to order one item at a time per person. Portions are small. The cost per portion is a little high. Overall price is on high end, portions are small, service it depends who your server is. A nice charming place to eat. Will be back hopefully I have a better experience. read more

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We had the best girls' night out at Gabi James! When I first arrived, there was a brief moment of confusion--there wasn't a hostess at the stand yet, and it felt a little awkward standing near the entrance with people coming and going. But once we were greeted, everything quickly The food was absolutely incredible. The oxtail ragù over the Bolognese was rich and flavorful, and the skirt steak was cooked to perfection--tender, juicy, and packed with flavor. The tuna tartare (Tuna Guitar) was fresh and beautifully prepared. Every bite was a hit! I have to give a special shout-out to the red pepper mezcal cocktail--it was truly outstanding and so unique, a must-try if you love a good craft drink. On top of all that, the service was fantastic. The owner/manager personally came by to check on us and was so welcoming and kind, making the night feel even more special. I can't recommend Gabi James enough. We're already planning our next visit! read more

We found parking pretty easily on the street on a Sat evening. Seated right away. Our server was friendly. The food was just ok. I was pretty underwhelmed. Nothing really stood out to me. We ordered the tortilla espanola, pan con tomate, and gambas al ajillo. The food is probably more like a 2/5 - I ate it, but didn't really want to and didn't eat any of the leftovers. Everything was just MEH. Like I said, underwhelmed. read more

I'm a fan! I choose to dine here for my bday dinner with my husband. We ordered a handful of items and everything was delicious! My favorite was the tortilla espanola! It was an unexpected dish, but yummy! I still can't explain what it is..maybe some sort of potato? We also shared the potato croquettes, wrapped stuffed dates, pan con tomate, grilled broccolini, that grain dish (forgot the name) and hanger steak. Surprisingly we had room for dessert and shared the custard. Service was great and would definitely return! read more

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I'm pretty sure I've reviewed Gabi before but Yelp asked me to review it so... Gabi James in Riviera Village is my absolute go-to for Sunday brunch with the girls! The vibrant atmosphere and delicious menu never disappoint. One interesting fact about Gabi James is their unique blend of Spanish and French cuisine, creating a delightful fusion of flavors. The staff is always welcoming (Joe is so awesome at the bar) and the patio seating offers a perfect spot to soak in the beachside vibes. Highly recommend for a chic and tasty brunch experience! read more

Gabi James - French Near Me - Redondo Beach, California

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Not the best food in the riviera, honestly a little underwhelming and lacks flavor. All the dishes we ordered were under average in our opinion read more

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Lovely environment and really delicious food. Refreshing to have menu items that are unique and not Italian,Mexican or Asian. The sauce on my halibut was amazing. read more

Came here for our wedding anniversary and it was wonderful. The ambiance was great, wine and drinks were tasty and all the food was delicious. They treated us very well and I loved the area read more

Reservations were made easily on OpenTable. We stopped by for an early dinner on a Sunday night as we were in the area. The restaurant was pretty empty with a couple at the bar and two other parties sitting on the patio. Sangria: we chose the red over the rosé. It was good--light, refreshing, and better than any of the food we ordered. Roasted Garlic Brie: This is their weekly special: baked brie with roasted garlic, walnuts, and baked apple on top of toasted sourdough. However, the toasted sourdough ciabetta was rock hard! We couldn't even bite into some pieces at all. It tasted like the bread was old, frozen, and then reheated improperly. Definitely not fresh. AVOID this dish! Do not get this! Gildas: We got this because my husband likes anchovies. It's two little skewers of anchovy, olive, and pepper. It was okay... very simple. Not something I would get again. Citrus-Quince Salad: This was the last dish to come out. Seems like they forgot about it since it's the easiest dish to throw together and it came out even after the paella which takes 20 minutes to make. Once it did come out, there was way too much quince paste on the salad. Globs of it were coagulated and clumped on several pieces of lettuce and not evenly mixed. Seafood Paella: okay, but it had a very fishy taste that wasn't fresh. I've had better paella at other restaurants and this one was mediocre in comparison. Service: The hostess was great but the rest of the waitstaff here are not friendly or properly trained. We had to flag down the server a couple times. When they came to bring out new dishes, they didn't take away the obviously empty used plates on the table. They only seemed eager to refill my husband's sangria which he declined twice. There was also a bug in our napkin so we had to ask for a new one. I understand that happens but the service just overall left us with an unpleasant feeling. Note: there is a 2 hour time limit per reservation and the time you have to leave is written on the table. I used to really like this place but it seems like the quality has gone down over the years. I like the cute decor here but with the subpar food and lackluster service, we will not be back. There are many other better options in Riviera Village. Parking: meter/street read more

First time at Gabi James. Great Spanish food. I could taste the Spanish chorizo in the paella. It was delicious. We had fried calamari which was very good. I had the anchovy matrimonio (mixed with white and regular anchovies) with shredded cheese which softened the salty and vinegary anchovies. I love white anchovies. The dessert was a surprise. We thought it was a Spanish crème brûlée but it wasn't. It was like a crème brûlée and flan with candied marcona almonds. OMG! We almost licked up the bowl. We are definitely coming back. Service was excellent and helpful. read more

Gabi James - Paella - French Near Me - Redondo Beach, California

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Excellent place. The staff is absolutely charming and available. Food was great and arrived fast. The jam and bread is a must. I loved my breakfast, perfectly prepared eggs. I'm definitely going back. We sat outside but inside looked v inviting, nice bright views read more

My first time in the Riviera on a Saturday night. One of my fave Spanish/American restaurant that serve amazing tapas and top notch cocktails. The butcher's board, consisted of fig, 2 types of cheese, prosciutto and salami with toast. Amazing presentation. I ordered the oaxacan in sunshine and you can taste the mixture of medical and bell pepper pureee. The servers are very attentive and took our orders right away. Great for date night or Saturday night out with friends. read more

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I don't often write reviews but my brunch at Gabi James was so exceptional here I go. We were a party of four and had a small dog with us. We had a nice outside table. Victor the manager was very welcoming and friendly. Our server Ricky was excellent. We even got treats for our dog. We started with the Pan and Jam. I couldn't get enough. The fresh bread with mounds of shredded butter and fruity jam was a great start. I ordered the Americano Gabi Breakfast Sandwich. The presentation was amazing with the open faced sandwich and exposed fresh egg. It was scrumptious, served with a large portion of crisp, perfect French fries . Every order was presented with taste and flair, with rave reviews from all, including the delectable French Toast, Croquet Madam (yum) and Build Your Own Breakfast with amazing flavorful scrambled eggs. We were told that the chef has been there over 20 years. It is no wonder with these outstanding meals. If you live in the area, or visit the area, run, do not walk, but run to Gabi James. read more

We happened on this restaurant when the power went out in the restaurant we were going to. It's a Spanish flavored restaurant. Overall the vibe was good restaurant not crowded and outdoor dining option. We started with blistered Shishito peppers and the ham and cheese board. We also started with the watermelon cocktail which fair warning is pretty spicy and not just a hint of spice. We opted to order three steak options. 2 filet mignons and one skirt steak. The steak plates came with an arugula salad which was a nice fresh surprise. The skirt steak came to the table first. I understand bringing food hot to the table but when three people are there it's awkward. The other two entrees were five minutes behind that. We insisted they start eating so it did not get cold. The flavor of the steak was good and cooked to temp perfectly. The peppercorn sauce was very good and savory. We added on crispy Brussel sprouts which were very good. The cheese board never arrived to the table so we have to take that off the check. The restaurant was good but the service and food delivery were mistimed . All in we were at 246.00 with one round of spicy drinks and no dessert this time. read more

Gabi James - Blistered Shishito Peppers - French Near Me - Redondo Beach, California

First time at Gabi James and would definitely return. Good Spanish style menu. I had the blood sausage, Gambas Al ajillo, eggplant fries and the grilled octopus. All were fantastic except the eggplant fries, too sweet for me with the honey and the dip was average. Great cocktails and service from Savannah! read more

Gabi James - Grilled octopus with shaved fennel and squid ink aioli. The octopus was so tender! - French Near Me - Redondo Beach, California

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Always love their food and drinks. Great service and flavors. I would say the fish needed more lemon but simple fix - just asked for more lemon slices. I also don't like warm arugula so I put it all on a separate plate as soon as it came. Preferred if that way. Delicious arugula also! read more

Gabi James - (Drink) Lost Generation - French Near Me - Redondo Beach, California

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Gabi James was recommended to us and we weren't disappointed. I would recommend making reservations. The atmosphere and service was both great.For appetizers we enjoyed Gildas, Pan Peche then had the Citrus-Quince salad. Main courses we had Oxtail Ragu. The sauce was delicious and the crunchy pasta noodles were a surprise. Gabi James is a must try restaurant! read more

Fun spot for modern Spanish tapas. We ordered a variety of dishes to sample and most were tasty. The service was good and our server was friendly. Great location in Redondo Beach read more

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We were walking around on a Saturday night after having dinner elsewhere and were drawn in by the cocktail menu. It wasn't crowded inside so we sat at the bar. I'm not much of a gin drinker, but the cocktails (beach cruiser and Blaine & Andie) my bf and I had were both amazing. It was entertaining watching the bartender do his thing too. We decided to also get churros. It was more like a chopped up funnel cake than a traditional churro, but still good and the chocolate sauce paired with it is delicious. We plan on coming back for dinner. read more

Gabi James - State Fair Churros - French Near Me - Redondo Beach, California

Came here for brunch, they have plenty of outdoor sitting available. I started with their jalapeño business cocktail- it's spicy and it's delicious! Service was prompt but towards the end when it came time for the bill to come our waiter disappeared for a really long time. The meal could have been a good 20-30 minutes shorter had the waiter came around sooner. Onto the food: Pan con Tomato: It was delicious - as the tomatoes were nice and sweet on top of the toast. 5/5 Croque Madame: Very good- I didn't really care for the arugula salad though. But I typically don't like arugula anyway , next time I will ask for a substitute. 4/5 Skirt steak and Eggs: Really yummy and nicely executed. The steak was flavored well. The winner of the meal though was the dessert: Creme Catalan - AHHHH O-M-G. It's like a party in your mouth! 5/5 Can't wait to come back for dinner! Cheers! read more

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Had an excellent meal at Gabi James last weekend! We didn't have reservations, but they take walk-ups if space is available, so we sat out on the street-side patio. It was a cold night but the heat lamps made it comfortable and the patio makes for good people watching. Friendly service from the wait staff and later Adam, the owner, came by and we chatted for a bit. Learned more about the family restaurant heritage and their previous incarnation as Zazou (my partner had dined there and asked about an old fave dish, which sadly didn't make the transition). Very welcoming all around! And the food was fantastic, with flavorful Spanish and French influences. We shared a few plates. My faves were the gambas al ajillo (shrimp) and the crispy brussel sprouts, which had the magic salty-sweet combo of bacon and pomegranate glaze. They were addictive! And the creme Catalan was fantastic and crave-worthy! We'll definitely be back! read more

Gabi James - Gambas (shrimp in garlic butter) - French Near Me - Redondo Beach, California

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We celebrated several birthdays last night; and, we were a loud, boisterous party. Our servers were patient and provided great food recommendations. The meal starts with their potato chips. So good! We ordered most every item in the menu. All items were delicious and flavorful. My personal favorites: paella, gambas, anchovies, and the skirt steak. My gin and tonic choice was the Nordes Gin. So smooth! Most of the party has visited this establishment previously. It's obvious we like this place. It's a good place for a couple or a party. The parking is street parking and there is a lot within walking distance. There is indoor and outdoor seating. read more

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The meal got off to a good start with the complimentary potato chips, which I could have eaten a few baskets of. The food was solid, although nothing blew me away. We got the tortilla espanola, orchard toast, charred asparagus, albondigas, kale salad, oxtail ragu, filet mignon and churros. The oxtail ragu was the most interesting dish. The front patio is a great place to sit, especially during sunset. read more

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Really enjoyed the food here. Good service and good ambiance, coming back to try other dishes. read more

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Service was very nice but the food was meh. The papas rellenas were good, but the paella & lamb chops weren't anything to rave about. The paella was a little burnt so slightly crunchy, and I didn't mind the smokiness but didn't love the dryness. The lamb chops just lacked flavor. Finally, please skip the churros. They aren't churros. They're like plain donuts that you dip in chocolate. And even the chocolate wasn't great (but I might be biased because I prefer dark chocolate and theirs was milk). read more

Gabi James - Papas rellenas and chips - French Near Me - Redondo Beach, California

What a great spot in the redondo village. We were hesitant with outdoor seating and everything but so glad we tried this place. All the food was fantastic and I was sad that there was only two of us so we were limited on what we could try before we couldn't eat any more. My least favorite dish was the roasted mushroom since it was lacking in flavor. The potato croquettes are a must try item and the paella was super rich. I really enjoyed the ambiance and the service was superb. They are very good about Covid restrictions. Felt very comfortable and safe while outside dining. Great local spot that everyone should try! Can't wait to come back to try the skirt steak next time. read more

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Loved the: - Service shout out to Christopher & Jimmy! - Citrus Quince Salad sweet gem lettuce, quince paste, marcona almonds, manchego, lemon vinaigrette - Merguez Burger, protein style tunisian spiced lamb, manchego, cucumber, date chutney read more

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I finally got to have dinner here last night and it was so good! Our waitress was so sweet and attentive and took the time to help my friend with options for her allergies. Everything was delicious! The lighting was pretty and the restaurant was cozy and not too loud. I can't wait to come back! read more

Went here and the food was not good. The chorizo burger we got was really dry and pretty bland. The brandade gratin was really bad and had no flavor and tasted like cat food. It also had a bone in it, which is weird for a puréed food. The oxtail ragu was pretty good, but i wish it had regular pasta and not the strange pasta they put in it. The only good things were some of their cocktails. Service was fine, drinks were fine, the atmosphere is cool, but the food here is not very good. If you want tasty and pricey food you're better off going anywhere else around here. read more

Early Saturday evening, 11/11, we celebrated a birthday for my wife with family: 5 adults, one 8yo and an infant. We were concerned that having an infant might be a problem, but we were welcomed with open arms. The food was tasty and servings were appropriate for all to share. The wine list was excellent for our needs. The service was accommodating; we were truly with friends. We will return. read more

Went there for easter brunch. Specifically went because they had bottomless mimosas, which the the ladies in our group demand. Upon arrival, we're told that the dog that one of our ladies had must beyond the floor on the ground. The manager proceeded to inform us that it is a health department law. And we know this is not the case, but okay.We didn't want to make a scene, so we put the puppy in the car. Servers were super friendly but painfully slow. Then the issues began one after the other.After the other. First thing we ordered was the bottomless memosas for everybody. And we are told by our waitress that that unfortunately is not available, because it's a ho holiday. I said, well, it's on your menu and it's on your website. She said, yeah, well, test just the way it is. Father's Day, Mother's Day holidays. We don't serve bottomless mimosa's because people drink a lot.And it's a lot of work for us to keep filling up glasses. I said, well then why do you have it on your menu. She said, well, it's up to the owner. Whether he feels like serving them to customers or not. So now we're forced to buy twenty dollar, a glass drinks that are week and overflowing with ice. Okay, fine, so we'll move on to the food. Skirt steak sandwiches and aso buccco risotto for everybody. Literally, 92 minutes later, our food shows app, and when I say it took a long time. I am not even beginning to to put extras on this. It really was approximately an hour and a half, and the place was not busy. Our waitress was nowhere to be found on many occasions. When we got our food, it was cold. Sandwiches we're cold everything was cold. We asked to see the manager, and we're told that's just the way it's served. I said okay, fine.Can I please have a side of mayo for my sandwich. The waitress stated that they have airlines mayo. I said great. Literally, twenty minutes later, the mayo shows up. The oso bucco risotto was shredded meat with an egg on top?And no risotto whatsoever. We ordered sangrios and got fruit punch with a one ounce pour of wine in it and no fruit. At this point we were just done, so we asked for the check. That of course came very quickly. And to my surprise, I was charged five dollars for mayo. When I inquired why I received a charge for the mayo I was told that it's not mayo, it's aioli. I retorted that aoli is mayo with seasoning. Yes, but it has vinegar in it he said. Three hundred dollars later, we left and will never ever ever return. Here's the thing we went there. Because we wanted to check out the place for a graduation party for someone who is graduating college and needed a place to hold an event, and they were told this ahead of time. It is clear that they are providing the cheapest of service with the cheapest of ingredients in quality that they can possibly give to customers while charging ridiculous amount. Their easter buffet was nobuffet. It was items that you order off the menu. In the end, I found this restaurant to be dishonest in what it served and what it sells. I am no, karen.I don't write reviews except for when if they're super bad and this was super bad. This restaurant has multiple one star reviews, which I didn't see, until I actually look at them, right now. I would avoid this place like the plague. There are a variety of other wonderful restaurants in that area that you can go to that. Give you quality service, great food and a better experience. Every single staff member that we asked about said, well, that's up to the owner. So clearly whoever owns this place, which doesn't care about the customer, is only concerned about making profit and gouging the customer in every way they simply can. read more

Gabi James - They refuse to serve mimosas because it's a holiday. - French Near Me - Redondo Beach, California

We ordered the SKIRT STEAK with all the sauces.. they were all yummy. My most fave was the beefy one.. tasted like pot roast (buttery beefy.. ). This one would be so tasty with the fries! My 2nd fave was the horseradish one. SEAFOOD PAELLA- this really was tasty. PEACH BREAD PUDDING- loved this bc wasn't too sweet. This was perfect with the side of vanilla ice cream. read more

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Delicious I love their dinner menu is so good Omgs !! The octopus was so good love the tapas style of serving makes it very fun to share ! Love the romantic ambiance the service is in point ! We went to celebrate my brother in laws engagement! We were very pleased by the service food and ambience thank you and our compliments to the chefs ! read more